Florida Int. dominates Wolverine Invite

Thanks to a second-round rally, Florida International began its season with a commanding win Sunday at the Wolverine Invitational. The Panthers shot a three-day score of 44-over 896 at the University of Michigan Golf Course in Ann Arbor, Mich., to finish 11 shots clear of the field.

After a 17-over 301 in Round 1, Florida International, which finished the 2009-10 season No. 88 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings, rallied in Round 2 to shave nine shots and post the best score of the day by 13 shots. The Panthers kept their lead in Round 3 as team scores rose across the board.

Iowa State, fresh off a trip last spring to NCAA regionals for the first time since 1996, finished second while Western Michigan and Northwestern shared third at 67-over 919. Host Michigan rounded out the top 5 another five shots back.

Florida International seniors Paula Hurtado and Cristina Marin also made their presence known in Ann Arbor, locking up the first- and second-place spots, respectively, in the individual competition. Hurtado, of Medellin, Colombia, finished at 9-over 222 while Marin, of Zaragoza, Spain, was two shots higher.